Mission

In 2004, Margaret Belton, a local artist, Indiana University student, social worker at Bloomington's Middle Way House and the Rise and Soma barista, began Women Exposed in an effort to give women artists a voice and to raise awareness of domestic violence and abuse against women and children.   

Margaret's tireless efforts, along with those of her friends, including Joy Hanford, Stef Huster and Filiz Cicek to name but a few, as well as the Bloomington community as a whole, ensured WE continues to thrive and grow. Early on, Margaret recruited Filiz, a Turkish-Georgian born American artist, nurse, scholar and journalist, to participate as an artist in the show. Since then, Filiz has been one of the show's foremost organizers and curators, ensuring that, even in times of difficulty, WE thrives, grows and makes change for the better in the Bloomington community and beyond.

This year, WE will celebrate its sixth annual art opening. Organized by Cicek together with a core group of women from the community, and curated by Sophia Travis and Hannah Edgerton, this year's event, explores the theme "Every Body: Form Formlessness and Transfiguration," and will feature over thirty local female artists and musicians, as well as international artists from Mexico, Nicaragua and London.

WE believes that art is one of the most powerful forms of expression and embraces female values and experiences. All proceeds benefit the Middle Way House, which offers a range of programs and services to women and children victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.